


Harry Potter and the Tides of Fate

by desertredwolf



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, New Beginnings, Prophecy, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2018-06-02 20:41:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6581389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/desertredwolf/pseuds/desertredwolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One chance: that's all they have to get it right. Harry is set to attend Hogwarts and he needs all the help he can get. Prophecies unfold and an ancient long-forgotten one is activated: The Once and Future King returns. Fate is restored as Harry, Arthur, Hermione, Morgana, and Merlin go to Hogwarts & fight the evil that is growing on all fronts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Ancient Prophecies (We Need a Reset)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter or Merlin universes (or Doctor Who … or Star Wars). Any pop culture references that the reader recognizes is from the original source; they are not original to this fanfic. This author will try to acknowledge the references when remembered or able, but some are so popular it's been engrained in this author's brain. Kudos, original content creators. You're famous and making money off your work (where as I do not make any money off these fics).
> 
> Basically, all rights go to respective owners and creators, and I make no money from this story.

**_October 31, 1981_ **

**_Location: Avalon_ **

"Did it happen?" the One looked across the scrying bowl, that currently contained gray swirling water, at his companion. The High Priestess looked up and nodded.

"Yes. Tom Riddle just killed Harry Potter's parents. Harry survived and Dumbledore and Black are on their way as we speak," she replied.

"And yet," the One moved away from the bowl and began pacing, "it has already happened and is yet to happen and is happening right now, simultaneously! The one time we need to know what's going to happen and WE CAN'T SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!" The One clenched his fists while continuing to pace.

The High Priestess reached over and rested her hand on the One's shoulder.

"You know we can't see anymore past this point in time," she said gently. "Everything is changing constantly and nothing is for certain. There are too many variables. We are not infallible."

The One shrugged off her hand. "This is the price paid for your actions," he responded bitterly.

"It wasn't just me. I _will not_ take the blame. At least, not for all of this," the Priestess spoke in an icy tone, while glaring at the One.

The One sighed and continued to pace. The Priestess waited for him to calm down. She knew that this was frustrating for him. He had created and done much for life and magic ever since the dawn of time, but this was something they both knew he could not remedy. So much had been broken by betrayal and deception, that the very fabric of Fate had been damaged. The inability to see past this point in time was just one consequence of those past actions, and it greatly affected their ability to help now. 

_Not that we can do much anyway,_ she thought somewhat dejectedly.

The age of stepping into the world and aiding kings and nations had long since past. Magic, and those who practiced it, were persecuted in even greater numbers than during Uther's reign. Arthur's father paid a heavy price for his actions, but the actions of the next generation were far more devastating and deadly. Magic had been slowly dying off; until now, when steady small pockets and communities of witches and wizards grew and lived around the world. Not that they were in too much danger of disappearing completely, but balance had been lost.

But the more the High Priestess and the One watched time pass, they realized that there must be something greater at work than an imbalance in magic. Something far more evil … and much older than this dark wizard currently terrorizing the wizarding world…

"I'm sorry. I know it wasn't just your fault."

The Priestess sharply nodded and said, "I know."

The One and the High Priestess looked back down and stared at the scrying bowl, lost in their own thoughts. 

_Well, this is a unique situation,_ the Priestess silently mused.

Where she currently stood with the One was a sacred and unique place in Avalon. No mortal had ever seen it — not even King Arthur. A gentle breeze blew through her hair as the Priestess stood and stared out at the calm waters before her: The Heart of Avalon.

The Heart of Avalon was a lake at the very center of the land and was the beating heart of all life and magic that ever existed. A safe haven for those of magic and a select few others.

The more intriguing aspect of the lake, however, was the crystal clear waters it contained. The lake was fed by two main streams, but if a person were to follow these streams in an attempt to find their source, they would find themselves walking for eternity. The streams have no beginning, but only one end: the lake. The beings and creatures that lived in Avalon called the streams "Waters of Time" because if these waters were collected from the lake in a container, one could see the future. 

_With using a little magic, of course_ , the Priestess smirked.  _One person could see many possibilities of the future. If they had enough time that is —_

Her heart stopped at the thought.

"Time!" the Priestess shouted with excitement. “We need more time!”

Startled by her outburst, it took a moment for her companion to process what she had said. She saw the moment on his face when he reached the same conclusion as her.

"We don't have the power to interfere. Besides, we couldn't go back in time to save two people while letting thousands more …" before he finished that thought, the One paused. Understanding and then hesitancy settled across his face. "You mean to activate the prophecy don't you?" he said slowly.

"Why not?" frustrated, the Priestess pointed at the bowl. "We just saw Lily and James murdered, which officially activated one prophecy. They need help! It's not just this Dark Lord Stupidest-Name-Ever … it's more than that! So, what's one more prophecy added into the mix? They won't even see this one coming … none of them will! We'll get the element of surprise. This has been inactive for so long, people are starting to say that it's made up! So now's the perfect time!"

"Lord Voldemort," the One off-handedly muttered.

"That's what I said!" The High Priestess smirked as the One tried to hide a small smile. "They need help. I don't care what happens after they defeat Lord Noseless; darkness is quickly building up around them and threatening their world. And it won't stop with just Britain and vanquishing Lord Moldy Thing. We both know that there is evil in the world that is hidden in plain sight and nothing can stop it … _unless someone knows_! We don't need to see the future to know any of  _that_."

The One stared at the Priestess for a moment to see if she had finished her tirade. "You're really having trouble with his name aren't you?" he asked.

The Priestess took a deep breath and quickly started to speak. "One, it's not even his real name. Two, it's a nickname he gave himself. Side note, who does that?! Doesn't he know proper nickname etiquette: You can't give yourself a nickname, someone else has to. Three, I know that. So  _I_  gave him multiple fitting nicknames that are  _great_  because they're all as  _stupid_  as his. Four, he's stupid and I refuse to give him any proper acknowledgement. Five, I think the nicknames I gave him are perfect. Six—"

The One cut her off when she took a breath. "Okay, okay, no more! Please! You make good points. Lord Noseless it is. But don't you think that nickname is a little bit too, oh I don't know …"

"On the nose?" she replied with a cheeky smile.

Grinning at each other, the Priestess and the One shared a quick laugh before once again growing serious.

"They are in trouble you know," the High Priestess softly said.

The One nodded, looking somber. "Their world is flawed. But that prophecy you want activated will cause you to forget everything. And it has to have  _both_  beings born of magic to agree.”

She raised an eyebrow at him as if to say, _So what?_

The One continued hesitantly. “So … have you even spoken to him yet? At  _all_ in the last few hundred years? I know he doesn't visit much. But if I recall, the last time you attempted to talk with him you said ‘Hi’ … and then he started casting  _blasting_  spells at you! Do you think he'll agree to this?"

The Priestess grimaced at the memory before smiling, laughter dancing behind her eyes.

"About this? No idea,” she said. “Really haven’t a clue. I haven't spoken to him yet about activating the prophecy. I did speak to him yesterday, however."

The One nervously looked at her and cautiously asked, "Do I even want to know what you said?"

The Priestess grinned mischievously and continued with her story. "Anyway, I snuck up behind him yesterday morning while he was eating breakfast and yelled "YOLO!" in his ear."

The One stared gob smacked at her. After a moment of tense silence, the Priestess shrugged and said, "Overall, I think that went really well."

Her companion came out of his stupor and promptly started shouting at her.

"Wha— WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" he sputtered. "Why would you antagonize him? He's the MOST POWERFUL SORCERER TO WALK THIS EARTH AND THE NEXT! He comes here sometimes just because he  _can_ — EVEN THOUGH he shouldn't be able to cross over! How do you even know what YOLO means? What did he do?!"

The Priestess cocked an eyebrow and inquired, "Why are you so afraid of him? You're the One. Didn't you create all of this?" The Priestess waved her hands at their surroundings.

"You know the answer to that question," he glared at her. "Magic created you both and magic was here even before me. Yes, I did create everything, but you two I have no control over— DON'T GIVE ME THAT LOOK!"

The Priestess had grown a far off thoughtful look in her eye, as if contemplating the future and what he had just said. The One wouldn't normally be concerned — except that she had a nasty mischievous gleam in her eyes.

And he knew that always meant trouble.

"Besides," he quickly tried to redirect her attention, "you never answered my original question. What did he do?"

Before the Priestess could answer, a calm voice promptly answered from behind them, "I created an illusion of a Serket that started chasing her, while she ran away laughing."

Spinning around, the Priestess and the One looked into the eyes of an older man leaning against a knotted staff. Small waves lapped against his feet as he walked along the shoreline towards the only other people by the lake. His face crinkled into a smile and nodded at the One. The One didn't notice, however, as his eyes were currently tightly shut. He was holding his hands to his temples and slowly shaking his head, while muttering under his breath. The Priestess was entertained as she thought she heard him mention something about "evil" and "children."

"It was only an illusion. No harm done," the older man shrugged, leaning heavily against his staff.

"You two," the One sharply pointed at the two people standing before him, "are going to kill me."

"I thought you couldn't die in Avalon," the Priestess cheekily remarked.

The One glared at her and the older man turned to look at the Priestess. It was the first time they had made eye contact since …  _before_ … and the Priestess noticed his eyes still held anger in them — but they were also tinged with regret and weariness.

The man simply nodded at her and said, "Morgana."

"Merlin," she nodded back at him. 

_I knew it. Even after all this time, he still hates me._ Sorrow and pity latched onto her heart as she remembered the last years of her life on Earth.  _Stop it. You started to make it right by creating the prophecy surrounding Arthur. You're willing to go back now and fix things._

Morgana thought of the regret and weariness she had noticed in Merlin's eyes and hoped for the future to hold something better. She mentally shook herself out of her thoughts and noticed Merlin had been carefully watching her. His eyes slowly softened and he started nodding.

"Yes," he said confidently. "It is time to activate the prophecy. I agree with Morgana."

The One shook his head. "I'm never going to understand you two, am I?" Merlin and Morgana grinned at each other and shook their heads. 

_I've missed him. This is the Merlin I grew up with,_ Morgana thought as she remembered fighting bandits, epic sword fights, and saving her friends — all while standing next to a brave and smart young man. She thought of times long since past and what could have been. 

_So much went wrong. I wish…_

She abruptly stopped thinking about wishes and dreams and was able to catch up with the last bit of what the One had been saying.

"…but I will remind you and say it anyway," the One stood facing Merlin and Morgana. "By activating the prophecy, you will not remember who you were or your time here." The One gestured around them at Avalon. Morgana noticed that mist had begun to slowly gather over the lake, giving the scene a more ethereal effect. She looked pointedly at the One and tilted her head questioningly toward the lake. The One looked between the mist and Morgana a few times before understanding what she was trying to say. He grinned sheepishly.

"I thought the occasion called for it,” he replied. Morgana just rolled her eyes and the One continued speaking.

"This is meant to be a new beginning — for  _all_  of you — so that you can achieve the destiny you were meant to have  _without damaging Fate_. You will always be Morgana, Merlin, and Arthur, just now it's without the demons plaguing you. And yes," the One said before either could speak, "Arthur  _and_  the other one get sent back too, since they are essentially to the prophecy."

Morgana snorted and Merlin looked at her.

"Well, that bit is obvious," she quietly told Merlin. "I mean about Arthur coming back.  _I did_  create the prophecy  _about_ Arthur, after all."

Merlin stared curiously at Morgana. "You made the prophecy? How?" he questioned.

Morgana shrugged her shoulders and turned back towards the One. Merlin, however, wouldn't let it go and eagerly started pressing for answers. She was suddenly reminded why, in the distant past, she had at one time considered him nosy.

"Did you see the future? What's going to happen? How could you know, if the Waters are clouded? Do they win? Can't we influence things from here? How are you this all knowing? Did you set the curtains on fire again?"

"MERLIN!" Morgana shouted, "THAT WAS ONE TIME! And you will not mention that again." Morgana firmly said the last sentence with a look in her eye that said there was not room for argument.

Merlin ducked his head before answering cheekily, "I'm glad you said that last bit. At first, I thought you were channeling  _Arthur_  because that's  _exactly_  how he used to shout my name when he was upset with me."

Morgana smacked Merlin upside the head and said, "I know. We all heard it every single day at least ten times. And to answer your questions: The Waters are clouded because time has hit a diverging point. There are too many possible choices stemming from too many key situations that could happen because of too many important decisions that occur due to the path that just  _one_  person chooses, from the  _multitude_  that are before them. Put this on a national level and you'll understand why we can't know what will maybe happen for just a few people.

“Yes, I saw glimpses of the future.  _But_  it was a few glimpses of  _many_  possible roads and like I just said,  _none_  of them are for certain. Our choices from this point forward will affect the block on the Waters. We can't influence things from here because we can't see what is coming, and normally we can't do much in this age anyway. I don't know who wins and I'm all knowing because I don't walk around like an idiot."

Merlin opened his mouth to argue, but was cut off by Morgana’s raised hand. She continued to ten and took a breath before continuing.

"This is our mess. That means we have to get our hands dirty and are the only ones who can fix it. This prophecy gives us a chance to right our wrongs. We can even help the others change the future for the better. Arthur is the Once and Future King and Britain needs him again, just as Wizarding Britain needs the Chosen One. I seem to remember you being an excellent advisor. Maybe it's time to take up that post again." Merlin nodded with a contemplative look on his face.

"Anyway," the One paused as he focused on Merlin, "I was going to say that I need your staff. I know you probably don't want to part with it, but it's a must."

Merlin slowly stepped forward. Morgana watched intently as he gave the One his staff. The One's eyes widened in surprise when Merlin gave it to him without complaint. Seeing his surprise, Merlin explained.

"It belongs in the land of the Old Magic. I couldn't take it while me even if I wanted it. Our bodies aren't going back; our spirits are starting fresh in a new time. Last I checked, spirits have no pockets or hands, so I'm out of luck. No way to hold it or carry it."

The One held the staff like the precious gift it was, while Morgana offered her arm to Merlin. She smiled when he nodded his thanks and leaned against her. 

_He's so old now,_ Morgana thought.  _So much has changed._ Her mind flashed back to yesterday's "conversation" and she remembered that she hadn't been the only one laughing. 

_No. Maybe not much has changed. I believe there's hope._

The One continued speaking. "I can't stress enough that this is your one and only chance at redeeming yourselves and finding your true destiny. Since you both messed everything up so badly before, it ended up causing a ripple effect through time. Effecting destinies and lives throughout the ages. Some of which have not even yet begun. Time fracturing—"

Merlin raised his hand to stop the One from continuing, while Morgana once again rolled her eyes.

"Yes, we are aware of that. Seeing as we were both there for it," Merlin said.

Morgana leaned over and said to Merlin in a loud stage whisper, " _You_  might have been there, but I was  _here._  I had to suffer through all of his lectures in person." More and more, Morgana felt the hate and shame slip away as she spoke with Merlin. It was slowly starting to feel like old times again. Plotting behind Uther's back, saving innocent people, helping others … She refused to think about the pain in the last few years of her time on Earth and let hope slowly continue to fill her heart instead.

"You have to know what damage it did! This can't be repeated!" ("Not like we're going to remember this anyway," Merlin quietly said to Morgana.) The One continued as if Merlin hadn't said anything. "It is also your only shot at changing the future and helping the others fulfil the second prophecy. I cannot interfere in this journey. This is for all of you to right the wrongs of the past."

"You are beings born of magic and of the Old Religion. That will not change no matter where or when you go," the One sighed and then continued speaking. "This will make it harder for you, but there's nothing that can change it. It may be an advantage later on, who knows?" ("Fate?" Morgana whispered to Merlin, who was fighting a smile.) "Just know that when the time comes, you will always find your way back home to Avalon. But I don't want to see either of you for at least five centuries and you better only show up if you die of old age in your sleep." The One pointedly stared at Morgana during that last sentence.

"Not my fault," she muttered under her breath.

The One suddenly grinned. "Basically, this is a never-happened-before-never-happening-again chance at reincarnation — kind of — curtesy one prophecy created by the Lady Morgana and executed by myself. Not only will you help save the future, but you will also find your true destinies. No memories, no help, blah blah, disclaimers, beings of magic. Got it? Are you ready?"

Morgana and Merlin nodded. Morgana momentarily panicked at the thought of losing everything and every memory. Despite the bad, there was some good she didn't want to forget. 

_You knew this was happening! This is how this prophecy works. Get over it!_ Morgana furiously thought. She settled down when she felt the steady presence of Merlin's hand remain on her arm.  _I wish things could have been different._

"Hey, Morgana?" Merlin leaned towards her and asked. "How are we supposed to fix this? I get it's our fault, but what are we supposed to do?"

Morgana gave a small smile and whispered, "You weren't listening were you? We need to fulfil our original destiny."

"Which is …?" Merlin left the question hanging.

"You, me, Arthur — even some of the kids we're going to help — have been spoken about before the dawn of time. We were fated for great things, but what we did destroyed any hope of that future and damaged Fate — as the One is  _so_  eager to constantly remind us." She paused a moment before quickly continuing, "So, let's not do what happened last time and hope for the best. Then we can all live long and happy lives."

"I'm going to ignore the statement of 'not doing what we did last time' and instead ask: Why can't we have our memories and do we all really get long and happy lives?"

"We didn't have foreknowledge last time. This is the only way to get to our destiny and fix things: the mortal way … with some obvious magical perks and abilities. Besides, with a past as damaged and plagued by demons as ours is, we need a fresh start.” Merlin grimaced and nodded at the thought.

“As to your second question: I really don't know,” Morgana continued in a whisper. “The prophecy I created gives us a way in to  _start_  the process of healing Fate. But no one knows exactly what our destiny was — just that it was  _seriously_  messed up. Fate and prophecies are tricky. You never know what to truly expect.”

"Morgana, Fate is hard to damage. Like _really_ hard. I'm not saying we didn't do it —honestly, we probably did — but what if we were fated to damage Fate and end up here? Trying to fix the past, make the future better, and find our true destiny?"

Morgana gave a soft smile. After creating the prophecy and then arriving in Avalon shortly there after, she had given that a lot of thought.

"Either way, we're here and we did screw up last time. Fate, time, destiny, it all weaves around and gets jumbled. My gift of Sight shows a multitude of possibilities. Maybe we missed it last time and this is our second chance. Or maybe we've still been working towards our true destiny this entire time, but we just took the worst possible way to get there. Little things make the biggest changes. Maybe we could have bypassed all of the pain, but this — right now — would have always been a possibility. One outcome of many. Nothing is linear and there are infinite possibilities."

"The One seems to think that we royally messed up and that this is our last shot," Merlin pondered.

"Perhaps."

Merlin quickly looked at Morgana. She gave him a reassuring smile and replied, "But what happened  _happened_. Whether it's Fate or not, I'm going back.  _This_ is  ** _my_** choice. Fated or not, I don't care. I've made mistakes that cost people their lives and I will try my best to fix that."

Morgana had grown fierce and determined by the end of her little impromptu speech, when she suddenly remembered something from ages long past. A memory of a girl standing defiant before her king, demanding the rescue of her maid, who was also her best friend. What she had felt then, she once again felt now.

_Maybe I hadn’t lost as much as I was led to believe_ , she wondered.

Merlin gently squeezed her arm and whispered in her ear.

"I'm sorry I'm about to lose you."

Before Morgana could process what he had said, the One neared the end of the spell she hadn't realized he had been casting. With a quick flourish, the One finished speaking the last word and time seemed to freeze for a moment. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of gold light and Morgana felt her spirit separate from her body. The body vanished — as well as everything around her — as her spirit was pulled through time.

She felt the comforting aura of Merlin, and even Arthur, nearby. But far away, and just for a moment, Morgana could feel the presence of the other one — just before it was called into the physical realm. 

_I can't forget about that one,_ Morgana thought fearfully, knowing that in any moment, she would not have any choice in the matter.

Before she could continue with that line of thought, her spirit was pulled out of time and into the world.

And in that moment, her memories were gone and she remembered no more.

_ The Once and Future King _

_Prophecy recorded by: Morgana Pendragon_

_Date: Two Days Before the Battle of Camlann_

.oOo.

**_Fate has turned back, the King rises again;_ **

**_Sacred is the flight of the Eagle and Raven._ **

**_Watchmen of the Wall will surely sound the alarm._ **

**_Caught in the citadel, will they be dealt healing or harm?_ **

.oOo.

**_Hope for the future, mercy redeeming the past._ **

**_Anxiety and Regret cannot stand nor last._ **

**_Amends must be made, quickly before it's too late!_ **

**_Evil is only vanquished before true love and the gate._ **

.oOo.

**_The path lies before and is quickly obscured by sand._ **

**_Time forever gone; will the Chosen Ones stand?_ **

**_As Fate binds together what time has thought lost,_ **

**_All must move forward; no matter the cost._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N — Edited on June 2, 2017 to remove "head-hopping" POV and to fix grammar.


	2. Chapter 1: From Small Beginnings

Today was not going well for Harry Potter.

It was, after all, his cousin Dudley's birthday. He was used to waking up to his cousin’s thunderous footsteps on the stairs above his bed and his aunt’s screeching outside his cupboard door. But the moment Dudley had shouted that it was his birthday … well, Harry knew that the day was going to be an extra sort of terrible.

The original plan for the day had been for Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon to take Dudley and his friend Piers, a vicious and rat-faced boy, to the zoo to celebrate. Harry — or "freak" as his Aunt and Uncle seemed to prefer to call him — was supposed to go spend the day with Mrs. Figg. And for once, Harry had actually wanted to go stay with the crazy neighbor, who had _way_ too many cats.

Of course, Harry had never been to the zoo before. Come to think of it, Harry had never really been anywhere. As his Aunt and Uncle constantly reminded him, he wasn’t worth spending money on; after all, he already cost too much. But when Mrs. Figg wasn’t able to watch him today, it seemed Harry would actually get to go to the zoo.

But he knew better. He would have traded almost anything to have a quiet day indoors. Instead, he needed to be hyper vigilant for the entire day, in order to avoid his cousin and lackey. He ended up having some close calls, but he had finally made it to lunch.

Just a few more hours to go.

 _I wish I could go back to my cupboard,_ Harry thought mournfully.

Parents and children were talking and laughing together in the outdoor eating area where he sat. Joyful noise seemed to surround him, but Harry felt none of it. He stared glumly at the already half-devoured ice cream that his uncle had given him earlier. Dudley had thrown a tantrum and claimed there hadn't been enough ice cream in it. So it had been given to him.

 _It's okay,_ he thought, while looking at the pitiful desert in front of him. _It's my fault. I know I deserve this._

Harry wasn't sure what  _exactly_  he was at fault for, but it had to be something. He was always getting second best, sometimes even not that, so he had eventually figured something was wrong with him. And strange things _did_ seem to happen around him… Like that time, he had somehow ended up on the school's rooftop, while running away from Dudley and his gang. Or the time his hair grew back overnight. Or when his teacher’s hair turned blue after she had ignored Dudley while he bullied Harry.

Everyday he was called a freak and blamed for something. So there must be something wrong with him … right? He had mostly come to accept it. Why else would his relatives call him a freak and treat him like dirt? Why else did no one want to be his friend?

Sweat dripped down his forehead, as the sun beat down. The weather was unseasonably warm for this time of year and Harry felt it. The heat was doing a good thing, though, and helping ease the constant sharp pain shooting through his side and down his arm — another reminder that there was something wrong with him.

That morning, Dudley had cornered Harry in the house and accused him of ruining his birthday. After Piers had arrived, Dudley and his friend played a quick version of their favorite game: Harry Hunting.

" _Better watch you back, Potter," Dudley spat at him, while Piers shoved him to the ground. A parting kick to the ribs left Harry unable to breath for a few seconds. Dudley and Piers laughed, before walking out to the car._

_His uncle watched the beating with a vicious smile._

Harry silently stared down at his ice cream, his eyes watering at the memory.

 _Stop it, Harry. If you cry, you'll hurt worse._ Breathing slowly and very, very shallowly, Harry tried to rein in his emotions. When he was once again in control, he glanced over a few tables. Uncle Vernon was laughing with Piers and Dudley, while Aunt Petunia was staring fondly at her son.

None of them glanced in Harry’s direction. Another simple reminder that he was not wanted.

Harry glared and stabbed another spoonful of the ice cream. If he had paused to think about it, ice cream probably wasn't the best thing to be eating at the moment — his last decent meal had been a day or so ago. However, it was the only thing his Aunt and Uncle had seen fit to give him today.

"BOY! Let's go!"

Harry's head snapped up. Over the years, he had learned to respond quickly and silently to that tone. Uncle Vernon stood at the opposite end of the outdoor eating area and glared at Harry. Harry grabbed the ice cream and moved as fast as he could over to his uncle. As he walked, a couple people watched his progress, glancing curiously between the two of them.

Uncle Vernon stared down at Harry as if he were something unpleasant and despicable. He opened his mouth to say something, but then suddenly seemed to notice the handful of stares he was receiving. Quickly, Vernon began to smile — although Harry thought it looked more like his Uncle was having a stroke — and grabbed the ice cream, before throwing it away in a nearby trashcan.

"Remember what happened last time when you had too much sweets, boy," Uncle Vernon placed a heavy hand on Harry's shoulder and forcibly steered him away. "Don't want you to be sick!" His Uncle finished speaking in a voice loud enough for most people in the area to hear. Those that had been giving him curious stares smiled slightly and turned away. After all, a parent correcting a child was hardly newsworthy.

Uncle Vernon continued to force a grin and Harry could almost hear his teeth grinding together. His uncle grabbed his wrist and pushed him towards his aunt — Dudley and Piers were already exploring ahead. "Don't fall behind, boy!"

Harry ducked his head and mumbled, "Yes, Uncle Vernon."

The rest of the afternoon was spent following his relatives at a distance and avoiding Dudley and Piers. The two boys had started to get bored and kept shooting dark mischievous looks at Harry.

Eventually, Harry had stopped to look at one of the exhibits, but more importantly catch his breath, when the unmistakable voice of his cousin cut through the air.

"Daddy! I want to go see the snakes!"

Harry looked over and saw Dudley pointing to the reptile building across the way. Piers was already running ahead and Dudley was staring impatiently at his parents. Uncle Vernon brusquely nodded.

"Whatever you want, sweetums! It's your birthday!" Aunt Petunia said with a smile.

"Come on, Potter! Keep up!" Dudley shouted, briefly glaring at Harry before going to find Piers.

 _At least it's colder inside,_ Harry thought as he pushed through the crowd to catch up with his relatives. The thought of air conditioning kept him moving, despite the pain in his side growing worse.

He was about half way to the reptile house when two things seemed to happen simultaneously. First, he was violently bumped by a couple of kids running by and fell to the ground. Second, as he was either bumped into or when he hit the ground, there was a bright flash of white light.

"Hey! You weren't supposed to do that!"

Knowing he must have done something else wrong, Harry looked up and saw two girls standing before him. The older girl looked to be his age, while the other appeared to be a few years younger. The younger one was busy glaring at the older girl and bossily placed her hands on her hips. And neither girl was paying any attention to Harry.

The older girl glared right back. "It's not my fault! I can't control it!" she shouted.

The younger girl crossed her arms and continued to glare. Harry watched with mounting interest, as the staring match continued. Since it seemed like he wasn’t in trouble, he was curious of the outcome.

He didn’t have to wait long. After another moment, the younger girl slowly uncrossed her arms.

“Yes, you can!” she grumbled. "And you could have been caught,"

The older girl rolled her eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh.

“I won’t get caught,” she replied sassily, “unless you say something.”

Shaking her head, the older girl turned toward Harry. She reached her hand down and pulled him up. Taking a moment, she brushed the dirt off his shirt.

"Sorry about that," she said. "We weren't watching where we were going."

Harry took a second to collect himself and brushed off his pant legs. Taking a few deep breathes, he looked up, making eye contact with the older girl for the first time. Her eyes were a deep blue and Harry felt as if he was being pulled into a bottomless pool of water. Harry gave a small shudder. There was something about her eyes that was just … _weird_.

The girl frowned slightly, but then seemed to shrug off Harry's reaction.

Before either one could say anything, though, the younger girl bounced on her feet.

"So what's your name?" she asked excitedly.

"Uh, Harry?" He phrased it as more of a question. He didn't have any friends — Dudley made sure of that — and wasn't sure how to handle this. Did people jump into conversations and get to know one another this quickly? Or was it just this excitable girl?

_Ask what their names are, Harry. Come on. Maybe they want to be friends?_

A small spark of hope filled his chest and he turned to the older girl to ask, only to have that flame flicker out when he saw her face.

Shock and fear flooded her features, her face quickly growing paler by the second. She glanced between the younger girl and Harry a few times, before a look of slow understanding filled her eyes. Harry hunched his shoulders and looked down.

Obviously, there was something wrong with him. He was a fool to let himself become hopeful. His aunt and uncle were right — they had always been right. He was a freak. No one wanted him. He couldn't even make friends properly. He was—

Hands rested on his shoulders and Harry looked up. The girl had a panicked look in her eyes and she spoke quickly in a quiet tone.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to freak out. But I just kinda understood something. Harry, you have to come with us. Please! I can't explain right now, but I can hel—"

"BOY!"

Harry spun around. Uncle Vernon was standing in the entrance of the reptile house, glaring at him. Even from this distance, Harry could see a purple vein bulging on his head. He froze at his uncle's tone. He _knew_ that tone. He was going to pay for falling behind later.

Harry sadly turned back towards the two girls. The older girl still looked panicked, while the younger one glanced between the two looking confused.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered. "I've got to go."

"Harry, something bad is going to happen in there. Please! Don't go—"

"BOY!"

"Sorry," Harry repeated and ran towards the reptile house. His uncle roughly steered him into the darkened halls of the reptile building and, unknowingly, further down a path Fate had never intended for him.

.oOo.

Today was going unusually well for Merlin Grey.

Merlin was spending the day at the zoo with his mother and his best friend, Arthur — who, of course, would adamantly deny that title any day of the week. Originally, it had been just Merlin and his mother going to the zoo, but Arthur's father had been called away on an emergency business trip. Despite not showing any outward emotion, Merlin had known that Arthur was upset. His father had promised him the day out for just the two of them, with all work calls placed on hold.

At least, that had been the promise. So, in order to help Arthur mentally move away from the fact his father was currently in a different country, Merlin had invited him along.

Spending the day with his friend and mother reminded him just how much he sometimes enjoyed the muggle world. All his life, he had grown up secretly practicing magic and living like a muggle — something he found no shame in — but it did grow tiring.

Just once, he wished he could be himself, without worrying about a Statute of Secrecy. And come September, Merlin would finally get his wish.

He would be leaving his normal life to attend Hogwarts. He was going to learn magic and all sorts of spells and charms! Hogwarts had _the largest_ magical library in the U.K.! That was _awesome_! There was so much to learn… Of course, he would be leaving his mother and friend behind; and, for whatever reason, he would miss his friend. 

 _Even though he's a prat,_ he thought with a smirk.

Sometimes he wished he could say something to Arthur. That he had magic and it was cool. There had been so many times he had saved their butts — like that one time he had used magic to complete their group project the night before it was due — and get out of tight situations — like that other time when they were being chased down the street by Mr. Pickerington’s crazy dog. It would have just helped if Arthur knew that he could do magic.

But he knew he couldn't.

While growing up, his mother had constantly reminded him that Arthur couldn't know about magic. There were dangers Merlin didn’t know yet and reasons that muggles could never know about magic — the Statue of Secrecy and all. Still, that never seemed to quite explain it.

 _But today is today,_ Merlin thought cheerfully, enjoying the sun.  _Let's just enjoy it! I could even learn something. Not likely with Arthur around, but still…_ Merlin _had_ been trying to read the fact boards about some of the animals. That didn't last long due to the fact Arthur kept racing ahead to see the more predatory animals.

And one always kept up and stayed with Arthur Elderson — even if one was _trying_  to learn something.

"Come on,  _Mer-_ lin! Keep up!" Merlin looked up to see Arthur glaring at him and impatiently tapping his foot on the ground.

Merlin gave Arthur a lopsided grin and trotted after Arthur. When he had caught up, he snapped to attention and gave Arthur a silly salute.

"Yes, sir! Your royal pratness!" he said in a mock serious tone.

"MERLIN!"

Merlin ducked his head to avoid Arthur’s swat and raced off, his friend hot on his heels. He thought he heard his mother shouting after them, but he wasn't sure. Marlin turned to find out, when Arthur easily caught up with him. Arthur shot his leg out and casually tripped him. Merlin tumbled to the ground.

"That will teach you to behave," Arthur said smugly. Merlin just grinned and pushed himself up off of the ground.

"Clotpole," he muttered as he brushed off his arms and legs.

Despite the borderline bully behavior, Merlin knew that Arthur was … ‘good’ was the only word he could bring to mind. And watching him, Merlin thought that one day he could be a great leader.

He almost snorted at the thought. _Maybe,_ he thought in amusement, _with a hell of a lot of work!_

.oOo.

Today was going … well, weird for Arthur Elderson.

Arthur watched Merlin pick himself off the ground. He sighed and rolled his eyes. 

 _Why do I put up with him again?_  Arthur wondered. It wasn’t that Merlin was _bad_ , per say. He was just an idiot — and a clumsy one at that. _At least I'll get away this September for school._  

Merlin had told him at the beginning of the summer that he was going to a boarding school up north. But Arthur really didn't care; at least, not that he would admit. It seemed that this upcoming school year they would be permanently parting ways.

On his eleventh birthday a few months ago, a strange woman had arrived at his house and told him he had magic. _Magic_ of all things! She explained to him and his father, who wasn’t too pleased, that he was offered a spot at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and would attend in the fall. It had taken some convincing, but his father agreed. After all, it was _the_ top wizarding school in Europe. Some bloke named Dumbledore, who was apparently a great wizard, was the Headmaster.

So _he_ , muggleborn Arthur Elderson, was going to Hogwarts.  _He_  had magic. Sure, his father wasn't too supportive. Honestly, it wasn't like he was too thrilled either. The idea of having magic was bizarre and it seemed dangerous. He had eventually convinced his father that he had to learn to control it. And that having magic was an advantage — and any advantage was a good one.

So he was going to Hogwarts to learn magic and would finally be free from Merlin's ... eloquentness. An over exaggeration, perhaps, but it was how he felt.

"I hope they teach you better vocabulary at that fancy boarding school of yours,” Arthur said in response to Merlin’s insult. “You speak like a peasant.”

"Yes, your majesty. I do hope to learn something,” his companion said, while giving Arthur an over-exaggerated bow. Arthur scowled.

Standing up, Merlin suddenly asked, "So, are you excited to go to your new school in September? Are you nervous?"

Frowning, Arthur shoved Merlin. "Stop being a girl, Merlin!"

Merlin gave him a pointed look, which caused Arthur to object, "And I'm not nervous!"

"Hey! I just want to know!” Merlin said with a lopsided grin. “Friends ask friends questions!"

Arthur pretended to seriously consider that statement before offering his reply.

"Merlin, we are not friends."

 _Liar,_ a small voice in the back of his mind replied.

"I hope we're not fighting. Right, boys?"

Merlin and Arthur turned to find Merlin's mother standing behind them. Smiling, she said, "Why don't we head inside? It's pretty hot outside right now."

She turned them both towards the nearby reptile building. Arthur took off running. He was determined to beat Merlin to the building and get away from the conversation. He wasn’t nervous. He wouldn’t miss his friend.

But from somewhere behind him, Arthur swore he heard Merlin murmur under his breath.

_"Whatever you say … friend."_

.oOo.

Today was, so far, outstanding for Miss Hermione Granger.

Last September, she had learned that she was a witch. She, Hermione Jean Granger, had magic and, in less than three months, would be going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Surprisingly, her parents had been incredibly supportive and they had gone with her to purchase all of her school supplies. Except for her wand. The one thing she wanted more than anything else! Even — it almost hurt to just think it — all of her school books. The professor that had explained everything to her and her parents about Hogwarts had suggested waiting until closer to school to purchase the wand.

" _While wands help channel and minimize accidental magic," Minerva McGonagall told Dan and Emma Granger, "there are restrictions and rules that govern wand use that pre-Hogwarts muggleborn children often do not know. Occasionally, children will become tempted to use the wand and there have been, shall we say, unpleasant consequences. Magic outside of school is strictly forbidden, until a witch or wizard turns seventeen and is considered of age. Unless the accidental magic becomes too much to bare, I recommend waiting until a couple of months before school until you purchase your daughter's wand. It would give her time to read about and understand the rules first."_

While logical, the professor’s reasoning was extremely annoying.

And so, Hermione had been forced to wait. In her spare time, she read the laws governing magic. And then waited and read some more. Until today. Today was the day, in her mind, that she would _officially_ become a witch. Since Diagon Alley was in London, her parents had suggested an outing to the zoo before going to the magical Alley to purchase her wand.

"What are you thinking about, sweetheart?"

Hermione jumped and turned to her parents. They had all just sat down at an outdoor table to rest. She must have started zoning out, as her mother and father were looking at her with slightly worried expressions. Her mother reached out and took one of her hands.

"You were a thousand miles away," her mother gave a small smile, "Are you excited for later?" With the question, her mother gave her a pointed look and Hermione rolled her eyes. She was _eleven_ thank you very much. She wasn’t going to just shout about a big secret like _magic._ The three of them had been taught about the Statue of Secrecy when Hermione had received her letter.

At the question, though, it was a complete 180 as Hermione went from pensive to excited and bubbly. She was practically bouncing in her chair. Her eyes glowed with excitement and she began to speak very quickly.

"Yes! I'm all set! I've read all of my books at least three times, especially my history textbook, and I can't wait to get the rest of my supplies! I'm so excited!"

Her parents gave each other a look. Reaching some unspoken decision, her father asked her gruffly, "Well, would you like to leave now? I know we talked about having a family outing today, but you're very excited about finishing up shopping for school…"

"Oh," Hermione looked down, suddenly feeling very guilty. She knew that she had been more than a little distracted all day and that her parents were trying to spend as much time with her before she left.

"Well, I think," she spoke slowly, "that we still have time for a bit more. You know, before we have to leave."

Her parents both smiled. Her mother gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, sweetie!" she said, while wrapping Hermione in a hug.

Her father nodded and added, somewhat hopefully, "But let's get out of this heat for a bit. How about we head over to the reptile house? It should be cooler in there."

Her mother stood behind her father and rolled her eyes at Hermione. Her father had never really gotten over his childhood obsession with amphibians and reptiles.

Grinning at her mother and trying not to giggle, Hermione replied, "Okay, daddy!"

Hermione quickly gave each of her parents a hug as they made their way towards the reptile building.

.oOo.

Harry entered the reptile house and quickly separated from his relatives. He wanted to explore the dark hallways of the reptile building on his own. And after the encounter with the two girls outside, he needed some time to think.

Various cages containing different frogs, snakes, and lizards neatly lined the dimly light hallway. Lights on top of the enclosures illuminated the animals inside. Kids crowded around different exhibits, trying to find camouflaged snakes and tapping the sides of the cages. Adults stood nearby, occasionally telling the children in a bored voice to not hit the glass.

Unnoticed, Harry quietly slid through the groups of people.  _I'm finally alone,_ he thought. While most children would panic at the thought of being lost or alone in a crowded public area, Harry was relieved. He could rest for a bit, _finally_ and truly being away from his relatives.

But before he could relax, a very familiar and loud obnoxious voice once again reached his ears.

"Make it move!"

The debate between relaxing and investigating was quickly won by his curiosity. Harry moved quietly into the next room in time to see his uncle rapping on the glass of a large exhibit. A magnificent snake was curled on a rock, apparently sleeping.

Uncle Vernon hit the glass again. "Move!" he shouted.

A couple of visitors glared at Uncle Vernon, but he evidently didn't notice because he tried again.

Dudley then tried tapping the glass. “Come on, then! Move!” his cousin shouted.

Despite their combined efforts, the snake stayed still. Pausing for a moment, probably hoping something would change, Dudley shrugged and muttered, "This is boring." Uncle Vernon led Dudley to an exhibit with a Komodo Dragon that Piers had found and the two boys excitedly gawked at the large lizard.

Harry kept his eye on them and wandered over to the exhibit with the napping snake. 

 _If they think the snake is boring, I better stay near it,_ Harry thought.  _They might actually leave me alone for a bit then_.

Harry sat down and kept an eye on his relatives, just to make sure he wasn't completely left behind at the zoo. Barely a minute had passed when suddenly Harry got the feeling that someone was watching him. He cautiously looked around, but saw no one seemed to be paying any particular attention to him. He was about to let it go when all of a sudden the hairs stood up on the back of his neck.

 _Something isn't right, something isn't right._ Fear coursed through Harry's body and he slowly turned to find the snake very much awake.

And it was staring right at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own blah blah. All rights go to respective blah blah blah. You all know the drill.
> 
> A/N: I’m SO, so sorry! I know I said this would get to you, like, a week and a half ago after two months of nothing, but some last minute plans needed to be finalized for my cross-country move. And the editing took a lot longer than expected for this chapter. Heck, this specific chapter went through so many major revisions it’s not even funny. 
> 
> Good news, my move is officially done. (Now to just get a job.) But I should be able to work out a more consistent release schedule soon.
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts and feedback! I always love hearing from you all (even if I don’t get the chance to respond). Now, on to the story (finally!!!).
> 
> A/N 2 — In Regards to Reviews:
> 
> I messaged back those who left reviews, but there was a guest review that I could not reply to personally: Ann asked who the One was, and also stated a few guesses (Good guesses, but NOPE!). 
> 
> Originally, the One was going to be an OC: a creator/godlike figure of Avalon. But as I wrote the first chapter, I thought of a more interesting way to tie him into the greater Harry Potter universe (that’s your only clue!) and make him overall more intriguing. He’ll pop back up eventually…somewhere…or some when (okay! That’s a second clue…but no more!).
> 
> Also, Ann and udkudk touched on this subject: Who will be Merlin? Who is the One? Ann stated that dropping hints and having the reveal later would make sense. My opinion, the foreshadowing is necessary because the big reveal isn’t (necessarily) who people actually are; Merlin is Merlin, Harry is Harry, etc. However, there are people who may appear to be enemies who in all actuality are not, or vice versa. There are also way too many scenes I wanted to write where Arthur and Ron interacted, not Harry — as Arthur — and Ron. Or Morgana and Neville talked, not Hermione or Daphne Greengrass — as Morgana — and Neville. Or other similar situations.
> 
> I’ve also read a ridiculous amount of “Harry is super duper powerful/rich/heir of the Founder(s)/Merlin incarnate” fics recently. That is of my own doing, since I’ve been reading them nonstop for months (don’t judge…I can have a guilty pleasure! Lol!). That theme has just been too oversaturated in my brain recently and I wanted to do something different. Harry will be powerful (he does have a prophecy hanging over his head) and I may throw in a title or two (can’t resist), but I wanted to take another look at how a ton of situations were handled in the series (because some were handled poorly). Part of the way I wanted to do that was to introduce semi-established characters (Merlin, Arthur, Morgana, etc.) into this setting. They also have their own prophecy/prejudices/problems to deal with ahahahaha oh… *stops laughing evilly and wipes tear from eye* …this is going to be awesome. Worlds, prophecies, and Old magic and New will collide in this story…it’s going to be a fun ride.
> 
> Anyway, THANK YOU for the reviews and feedback! I would love to hear your thoughts about the story so far! And again, sorry for the long delay in getting this to you!
> 
> A/N 3 — Edited on June 2, 2017 to remove "head-hopping" POV (so Arthur's section was added) and to fix grammar.


	3. Chapter 2: Magic is Real

Harry froze, his heart hammering away in his chest. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe; he couldn’t think clearly. The only coherent thought he had was that he was glad the glass was there, because he wasn’t sure what the snake would have done otherwise. The snake was staring at him, almost as if it was expecting something.

_What do I do? What do I do?_  Harry thought in a panic. He didn’t take long to think about it and instead just said the first thing that came to mind.

“Um, hi?”

_Sure, Harry. Talk to the snake,_ he thought sarcastically as his heart sunk a little.

He wasn’t sure why or how, but this felt like another one of his “freak” moments. He was starting to recognize that there was something about what was happening, something in the air, that felt like those other moments. Kind of like that time he ended up on the school rooftop. Or when that terrible sweater his Aunt tried to force him to wear shrunk — while she was still attempting to shove it over his head. Or like that time Dudley tripped, while chasing Harry down the neighborhood street, and had to get stitches on his knee. There was a faint charge in the air and it held him captivate as he stared into the eyes of the giant snake.

The snake lifted its head and started swaying slightly. It acted like the King Cobras snake charmers worked with — except this snake was easily 12 feet long and large enough that it could wrap Harry up and crush him.

_“Hello.”_

Harry scrambled back a few steps. 

_Did it just TALK TO ME?! No, it can’t. It’s a snake. What?!_  Panicking, Harry turned around and ignored the snake.  _Not real, it wasn’t real. It’s not real_ , thought Harry.

_“Hello?”_  The voice now sounded sad. Almost like it was lonely.  _“Hello?”_  the snake repeated.

Harry’s heart broke at the sound. He heard himself in that voice; the loneliness, the pain… Hesitantly, Harry turned around and looked at it. The snake was now loosely coiled with its head resting on its body. Harry thought it — no, it was a  _she_ , he instinctively realized — looked … sad?

_Can snakes be sad?_  wondered Harry, but quickly shook his head.  _No. Stop it. This is the kind of stuff Uncle Vernon was talking about. I have to stop it, or I’ll get into trouble._

 “I’ll just ignore it,” Harry muttered. He, once again, turned away resolutely and folded his arms across his chest. Maybe if he tried harder, he could stop being a freak and doing freak-ish things. It wasn’t like he ever meant to cause these kind of things to happen, though. He just wanted to be to be accepted and if that meant he had to be normal, that’s what he wanted.

For a few long moments, he sat in silence and the snake didn’t say anything. But as the silence stretched on, Harry somehow innately knew the snake started to shift behind the glass, raising her head to his eye level. If she wants to talk, let her talk, Harry thought petulantly.

And talk she did. Well, at least one word.

_“Hello? Hello? … Hello. Hello. Hello? Hello! Hello? … Hello? Hello. Hello! Hello! Hello?”_

Harry was distinctly reminded of Dudley on long car trips — that is, on the rare occasion the Dursleys decided to take him with them. His cousin was known to get bored very quickly and would constantly ask if they were at their destination yet. Guessing that this would continue if he didn’t say anything, Harry half-turned back towards the snake.

“‘Hello?’ Can you say anything else?”

_“No,”_  she replied in a smug tone.  _“And it’s quite rude to not introduce yourself.”_

Harry rolled his eyes, but also fought a grin. There was something about this snake that he liked. He wasn’t sure if it was her sass or determination, but whatever it was, he definitely liked it. Failing to fully stop his grin, he turned around to completely face the snake.

“I’m Harry,” he said. “Um, do you have a name?”

_“Well met, Harry,”_  the snake bowed her head slightly.  _“I would give you my name, Speaker, but I do not have one.”_

Harry sat there, stunned. Not because the snake didn’t have a name — which seemed more like a human thing the longer he thought about it. No, he was stunned because he having a conversation with a snake. An actual snake.

_Well, at least things can’t get any weirder_ , he thought.

“Oh. I’m sorry about that? So … how are you doing?” Harry asked, failing to think of anything else to say.

If Harry didn’t know any better, he was sure the snake looked amused. The snake tilted her head to the side and said,  _“I am well, Speaker. Why did you ignore me? I know I am not powerful and free, but I have much knowledge.”_

Harry stared confusedly at the snake. The snake had said the last bit in an oddly hopeful tone, as if she was trying to promote her good points.

_Why would that matter?_  he thought. _She doesn’t have to prove anything to me._

“Oh, well that’s because, um … and — oh, this is weird!” Harry jumped up and began pacing.

He stole a quick glance at Dudley and Piers. Thankfully, they were still gawking at the Komodo Dragon and Harry breathed a sigh of relief. If they had noticed, Dudley would tell his Aunt and Uncle, and this would definitely be considered a “freak” moment.

_“What is weird?”_

“This!” Harry gestured wildly between the two of them. “Us! Us talking is weird! How is this possible?!”

_“Well, I have only heard stories about Speakers before,”_  the snake tightened her coil, as if retreating into distance recollections,  _“but I thought the reason would be obvious.”_

_Obvious?_  Harry thought, as he sat glumly back down on the ground.  _This is it._   _I’m imagining all of this somehow. There is something wrong with me._

_I really am a freak._

His heart gave an odd lurch at the thought. It was in that moment, deep down, that he realized that he didn’t want to be normal. He wanted to be himself. And that he also wanted special — he refused to use the term “freak” any longer — to be okay. Because maybe if he was special, someone would care about him. Harry stared listlessly into the snake’s eyes. Still afraid of the answer, but needing to ask, he took a deep breath and spoke.

“And what’s that?” he mumbled.

_“Magic,”_  the snake stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world — and to her, Harry assumed it was rather clear.

Harry gaped incredulously at the snake, before he started to laugh. “Magic? Magic? Like ‘Abra Kadabra’? You’re kidding, right?”

_“No, Speaker, I am not joking. Listen—”_

“Harry!”

Harry spun around, afraid for a moment that it was his cousin or uncle, but quickly realized two things. One, they would have never called him by his actual name. And two, the voice calling his name belonged to a girl.

Specifically, the girl with the strange blue eyes he had run into about ten minutes ago, just outside the reptile building.

“Harry! I’m so glad I found you! I—” the girl quickly said in a loud, excited tone. Her enthusiasm began to draw the attention of some nearby people and Harry panicked.

“Shhh!”

_“Shhh!”_

Harry and the snake both hissed at the girl simultaneously. Harry fervently glanced around. His relatives seemed to still be oblivious to his situation, at least for the moment, and everyone else had quickly stopped paying attention to the two children. Harry motioned the girl closer to the exhibit.

“Can you please speak quietly?” Harry whispered.

“I’m sorry, but did that snake just hiss at me? Did _you_ just hiss at me?” the girl questioned, ignoring Harry’s query.

“What?” Harry looked at her, bewildered. “No!”

_“Yes,”_  the snake said.

Harry and the girl both looked at the snake simultaneously. “What?” they demanded, before quickly looking back at each other.

“Can you talk to the snake, too?” Harry asked.

“What? No!” the girl replied. “Wait! Can you?” She gave him a piercing glare.

“Uhh … no?” Harry said in an uncertain tone. He felt uncomfortable under her gaze. Harry normally didn’t like to be in the center of attention, but this was something else. He felt like she could see into his soul.

“Oh my gosh, you totally can!” she whispered excitedly.

_“I was going to explain. I am sorry, Harry,”_  the snake said, hanging her head slightly.

“Shh!” Harry motioned for the girl to be quiet, before turning back towards the snake. “Explain what?”

“Okay, I only understood half of what you just said,” the girl muttered, clearly annoyed that she was out of the loop.

Harry gave the girl a weird look.  _How can she not understand what I am saying?_  he thought. Turning his full attention back on the snake, he repeated his question.

“Explain what?"

_“That all Speakers have magic, but not all people with magic are Speakers. You alone can understand me,”_  the snake explained.

“Okay…” Harry replied, staring uncertainly at the snake. “So I really have magic?”

_“You’re a wizard, Harry,”_  the snake answered gently.

Harry stared at the snake in shock. Things were already strange, but they were getting weirder by the second. He felt like Alice in Wonderland, falling further down the rabbit hole and without an end in sight.

“I’m a what?” he asked, befuddled. “Did you just say I’m a wizard?”

“What did the snake say?” the girl questioned.  She glanced anxiously between Harry’s confused look and the patient snake.

“I think,” Harry responded, slightly louder than he intended, “that she just said I’m a wizard.”

“Shhh!” This time it was the girl frantically motioning for him to be quiet.

Both Harry and the snake —  _I have to think of a name for her,_  he thought — turned toward the girl.

“I’m sorry, but who are you?” Harry questioned. “You know me, but I don’t know you. I don’t want to be rude, but why are you so worried about me saying that I’m a wizard?”

It was probably the most he had ever spoken to anyone and at the girl’s shocked face, he hoped he hadn’t been too harsh. Despite everything telling him otherwise, he still hoped to be friends with this strange girl.

“It’s probably due to the Statue of Secrecy.”

Harry, the girl, and the snake all turned around towards the source of the interruption. Standing before them was lanky boy with dark hair. His eyes glittered in amusement, as he stared at the three of them.

“This is getting ridiculous,” the girl muttered.

“What do you mean ‘getting’?” Harry retorted.

The boy just grinned at them. He looked between the two of them and reached out his hand. “I’m Merlin Grey,” he said. “I have to be careful about saying stuff like that all the time. What are your names?”

Harry stared between Merlin and the girl, becoming more confused by the second. Is this how people made friends? First the excitable younger girl outside, now this? He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he felt better once he saw the girl’s shoulders relax.

The girl smiled at both of the boys. “My name is Morgana. Morgana Devlin,” she said, reaching out to shake Merlin’s hand. “My little sister Rose is running around somewhere.” Morgana and Merlin turned expectantly towards Harry.

“Well, this is Queen,” Harry said, as he gestured toward the snake. The others stared at him and Harry shrugged. “I thought it fit. She said she didn’t have a name and she’s the Queen of Snakes.”

Harry turned toward the snake. “Is Queen okay with you? I thought you deserved a name,” he said.

_“Queen … I like it. Thank you, Speaker,”_  Queen said. She nodded her head, in effect giving Harry a small bow.

“I’m glad you like it,” he replied with a smile.

Merlin quirked an eyebrow. “Okkaayy. Not too sure what just happened, but it’s nice to meet you, Queen.” He gave her a slight nod, before glancing back at Harry. “And you are?”

“Oh, my name is Harry—”

“Potter! Just what do you think you’re doing?”

The three children looked around and Harry’s heart sunk. 

_Why can’t I get two seconds to try and make friends?_

“Uh oh,” he murmured.

Dudley and Piers were quickly making their way over towards Harry. Both of them had a nasty glint in their eyes, which Harry instantly recognized. It was the look they got when they were bored and about to turn to their favorite game: Harry Hunting.

“What’s with all these interruptions?” Harry heard Morgana mutter.

Concerned, Harry looked towards Merlin and Morgana and was about to tell them they should probably leave, before he abruptly stopped.

Merlin was eyeing the approaching boys with a critical gaze. He briefly glanced into the crowd of nearby people, but swiftly turned his stare back on the approaching boys. Harry tried to see what the other boy had been looking for, but couldn’t find anything obvious in the crowd. The boy appeared relaxed, but subtly shifted his stance so that he was standing in between the two boys and Harry and Morgana. In that moment, Harry knew he wasn’t going anywhere.

“Friends of yours, Harry?” Morgana asked. Her voice was light, but her eyes were steely.

“That’s my cousin and his friend,” Harry replied in a low voice. “They’re bullies.”

“Then I don’t like them,” she replied. She seemed to barely be restraining her anger. The air began to feel charged again with energy and Harry started to feel anxious.

_Is this her magic?_  he wondered, remembering what Queen had said earlier and the conversation about something or other of Secrecy.  _Or is this just me?_

Merlin didn’t look back at them, but nodded in agreement with Morgana.

Dudley sneered as he approached the trio and roughly brushed past Merlin. He barley broke stride as he shoved Harry. Harry stumbled backwards and would have fallen, had it not been for Morgana. She caught him and steadied him upright. Merlin stepped forward again.

“I think that’s enough,” he told Dudley.

“See, I don’t think so,” Dudley replied stupidly. “I think me and my cousin need to go outside. And hang out.” Piers stood beside him and grinned wickedly.

“Well, we were having a perfectly fine time on our own before you showed up,” Morgana said. “So I don’t think that will work.”

Dudley and Piers both looked at Morgana, clearly seeing her for the first time. They then looked at each other and grinned. Harry didn’t like the looks on their faces.

“We don’t you come with us?” Piers asked. Harry thought he was trying to appear cool, but it instead came off as creepy. “Don’t you know? Potter’s a freak!”

Dudley nodded along with his friend. “Yeah. You’ll have a much better time with us.”

Morgana grimaced, but before she could speak, a voice interrupted them.

“No!”

Everyone turned to stare at Harry, who suddenly realized it was his shout that had interrupted whatever Morgana was about to say. Swallowing nervously, Harry looked down at his feet.

“What did you say, Potter? Just wait until Dad hears about this!” Dudley shouted triumphantly. Starting to look around, probably trying to find his father, Dudley was stopped by his friend.

“Woah! Dudley! Look at the snake!” Piers suddenly exclaimed.

Queen had her head raised up and was hissing dangerously at the two boys through the glass. Piers and Dudley rushed forward, clearly eager to get a closer look at the massive snake. As he passed, Dudley shoved Harry again. This time, however, there was no one to catch him.

As he fell, his heart beat wildly, Harry saw the next few moments happen in slow motion.

**_Ba-bum-ba…_ **

Morgana reached for him, but Piers knocked her aside.

**_Dum-ba-bum…_ **

A blond boy rushed out of the crowd and caught her before she hit the ground.

**_Ba-bum…_ **

Dudley pressed his fat hands against the exhibit glass.

**_Ba-bum-ba…_ **

Merlin rushed towards Piers.

**_Dum-ba-bum-ba-bum…_ **

Dudley leaned closer towards the glass…

**_Ba-bum…_ **

Harry felt something inside him snap.

**_Ba-bum…_ **

A wave of energy rushed out and pushed Dudley and Piers into Queen’s exhibit, which no longer had any glass separating them. At the same time, the glass in the rest of the exhibits shattered.

**_Ba-bum._ **

Harry hit the ground hard and smacked his head on the cold concrete. His vision quickly began to grow dark. However, before he completely lost consciousness, he felt Queen slither across the ground and brush up against his body. He thought it was slightly odd that he felt comforted by a giant snake next to him.

There were muffled shouts and screams, that faded into nothing. Queen was next to his head, though, and was hissing furiously. Harry thought that he might have heard her say something about  _“Help”_  and  _“Warriors.”_

_Great_ , he thought hazily,  _we’re getting attacked._

The last thing he recognized, before his world was completely consumed by darkness, was the feeling of a small, bony hand brushing his hair aside and Morgana’s voice saying,

“Trust them, Harry.”

.oOo.

Harry wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he had been knocked unconscious, but it felt impossibly long. Groaning, he tried to sit up, only to immediately lie back down. He had a splitting headache and his whole body ached. Eyes still closed, he was startled by a small, scrawny hand reaching out and suddenly touching his arm.

“Mr. Potter, how are you feeling?” a rough voice asked.

“Everything hurts,” Harry murmured, only slightly ashamed of how whiny he sounded. All he knew was that it wasn’t his relatives asking him the question, so he could say how he really felt.

“Yes, I imagine so,” the voice said, in a slightly angry tone.

Opening his eyes, afraid that he had done something wrong, Harry blinked at the sudden light. When his eyes adjusted to the transition, Harry found that he was in a brightly lit stone room.

What was unusual, however — besides the fact that he seemed to be getting help and medical care — was a pale white glow surrounding his body. Seeking an explanation, he turned toward where he had heard the voice.

He was proud he didn’t scream.

Standing next to his bed was a small creature (surely it wasn’t a man?) with a large hook nose and pointed ears. The being’s hands had long nimble fingers, which were currently sorting through a small pile of polished stones.

The seconds passed by and after Harry continued to not speak, the creature slowly grinned, revealing sharpened teeth.

“Welcome, Mr. Harry Potter to Gringotts. We have been expecting you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello! I'm not dead! And this story isn't dead either. Sorry about the last few months. Life was fine, then got stupid crazy, and now is finally settling down (…I think). But I'm back now! I will try and update much more consistently from this point forward, but as of right now I cannot guarantee specific release days. I promise, though, that I will try and be more reliable! Now onwards! (Because the wait has been long enough…)
> 
> A/N 2: Edited on June 2, 2017 to fix grammar and transitions.


	4. Interlude 1: The Tides of the Universe

Morgana anxiously paced the length of the conference room. Her father silently sat nearby; her mother had taken her sister home a while ago. They had been informed there had been other magical families at the zoo, which was rather obvious, in her opinion. There would have had to be at least two others, since Merlin and Harry obviously weren’t related. Morgana had wanted to immediately go and speak with them, but the goblins denied her requests. They all had to be debriefed separately. Since then, the other families had been let go and told to go about their business.

But her father was a senior Curse-Breaker for Gringotts. Due to the Arcadia Treaty, he had been asked to remain behind until Harry woke up. Morgana had adamantly elected to stay with him. The mysterious raven-haired boy — she _had_ to know why he had been in her dream.

That apparently would have to wait. She was currently stuck in the conference room, and was starting to regret her decision to wait at Gringotts.

The room was far too quiet. She could hear the watch around her wrist tick, tick, _ticking_ endlessly — counting the time passing, even though it felt like the whole world was standing still. Groaning, she slumped into a nearby chair. It felt like she had been waiting for _something_ to happen for at least a year! In reality, she knew that they had only been in the conference room for an hour or two. After everything that had happened, though, her anxiety was quickly mounting, and the familiar sights and sounds of Gringotts did little to comfort her.

“Morgana,” her father suddenly said, his voice calm and steady, “he is in good hands. I’m sure we’ll hear something shortly.”

She rolled her eyes in response, before standing back up and continuing to pace.

That was something else that was bothering her. This whole situation was both everything and nothing like the nightmare she experienced last week — the one that had ultimately led her to talk with Harry.

Ever since she had been very little, she had nightly terrifying nightmares. The dreams — the kind she usually had — were conflicting. On one hand, she dreamt of wards failing, unquenchable fire, and shadows that laughed and taunted her; a bird caught in an iron cage. On the other hand, she sometimes had dreams of dragons and castles, a life in ages long since past. There were knights armed to the nines with shining swords and gleaming daggers, protecting a king, who was both kind and cruel.

Both visions, for lack of a better word, felt so real.

She had, on multiple occasions, tried explaining them to her parents, but they never understood. How could she explain the life-threatening terror, the feeling of her heart stopping? Being unable to move, while watching — _experiencing_ — the same atrocities being committed over, and over, and over again? She could never fully capture in her explanations the feeling of being _forced_ to watch it happen, all while hearing a voice in her head whispering madly away.

_“Pay attention! Pay attention! Pay attention!”_

She tried; she really did. But between the potions and Muggle medication her parents made her take, she couldn’t ever _really_ remember them. It all ended up in petrifying fragments with the true meaning lost. After awhile, she just did her best to ignore them. She would wake up screaming and covered in sweat; her parents would comfort her. Nothing had ever come from her dreams. Her family was firmly believed that’s all they were — simply dreams — and she had almost convinced herself of that fact.

But this one had been different.

The boy in her dream — _Harry Potter_ , of all people — was real. The trip to the zoo happened. But in her dream, it had happened differently. There was no fight between the cousin and the rest of the group. There hadn’t even been anyone else there besides the two bullies and Harry. The only exhibit that had its glass disappear was the one with the giant snake.

Harry hadn’t almost … almost _died_. There were no goblins, no rescue. Just the sound of a door slamming, and endless days of darkness.

A man — a giant man she recognized from her father’s description as Hagrid — had then found Harry in an island in the middle of the sea, and had then taken him to Diagon and King’s Cross. But even in her dream, that had felt wrong. There was no other way of explaining it. There had just been a _wrongness_ about it.

Then the dream had changed. Suddenly, she was standing next to Harry in the reptile house. This scenario felt less wrong. Like Fate was showing her a better way. So she had tried to follow it.

Clearly, it hadn’t gone exactly as planned. But what else had she been supposed to do?

There was something else bothering her; something even more important than meeting Harry, or discovering he was a Parselmouth. The dream had come _true_ — at least, to some extent it did. She had never had accidental magic growing up; toys had never levitated around her, things had never disappeared. Her parents, and everyone else, had believed she was a Squib. Nothing to be ashamed of, of course. Her mother was a Squib. That had been the theory anyway, until one day her Hogwarts letter arrived.

But this … _this_ wasn’t accidental magic. It was something else entirely. Her dream had come true, which meant that she was a Seer. As the old proverb stated, “One prophecy does not a Seer make.” But just thinking those words — that she was an actual _Seer_ — felt right in a way she could never begin to be able to describe.  But that also meant there was a far more dangerous future ahead of her. True Seers were even more rare than being a Parselmouth, and they weren’t exactly a sickle a dozen.

She had to prepare. She had to be ready.

Suddenly, she heard the door of the main lobby bursting open. Heavy footsteps echoed off the marble floors and counters. Ignoring her father’s warnings, she cracked the door open and peeked out.

The giant man from her visions — _Hagrid_ , she reminded herself — was arguing with one of the goblins at a desk. The debate lasted less than a minute. Hagrid gave the goblin a letter, which the teller read. Apparently, it was not good news for the goblin, who snarled in anger.

The entire exchange led to Hagrid being escorted to another annex chamber. Less than five minutes later, he was leading a bewildered Harry out of the bank and into the Alley.

 _So much for trying to change things_ , Morgana thought bitterly.

She would have to do better, and to do that she had to be _better_. She would have to learn how to control her magic.

And she had a nasty feeling that this was barely the tip of the iceberg.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Merlin. All rights go to respective owners.
> 
> IMPORTANT A/N — I have edited the first three chapters! (Please note that I don’t have a beta for this story. I am by myself in the editing process, but I think I’ve managed to clean it up rather nicely.) I eliminated “head-hopping” POV, as well as fixed overall grammar errors and transitions (at least as much as I could). If you are new to this story, this won’t matter too much. But if you are returning, I highly recommend rereading the first three chapters. (Also, it’s been a very, very long while … I am so, so sorry!)


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